Reece helped himself, and gave them a brief description of the late
interview.

'I'm not surprised,' said Gethryn, 'I thought Monk would be getting at
me somehow soon. I shall _have_ to slay that chap someday. What
ought I to do, do you think?'

'My dear chap,' said Marriott, 'there's only one thing you can do. Cut
the lot of them out of the team, and fill up with substitutes.'

Reece nodded approval.

'Of course. That's what you must do. As a matter of fact, I told them
you would. I've given you a reputation. You must live up to it.'

'Besides,' continued Marriott, 'after all it isn't such a crusher, when
you come to think of it. Only four of them are really certainties for
their places, Monk, Danvers, Waterford, and Saunders. The rest are
simply tail.'

Reece nodded again. 'Great minds think alike. Exactly what I told them,
only they wouldn't listen.'

'Well, whom do you suggest instead of them? Some of the kids are jolly
keen and all that, but they wouldn't be much good against Baynes and
Lorimer, for instance.'

'If I were you,' said Marriott, 'I shouldn't think about their batting
at all. I should go simply for fielding. With a good fielding side we